and of Rural Improvement generally, during 1842. 661 



greater from observation if he is in active life, or fronrreading 

 if lie is a recluse. 



The Horticultural Societies appear to be in general as well 

 attended as ever. At the first meeting in the Horticultural 

 Society's Garden, on May 14th, there were 5382 visitors, ex- 

 clusive of exhibitors ; at the second meeting, on June 11th, the 

 number of visitors was 13,407 ; and on July 9th it was 3445 ; 

 in all 22,234. The corresponding number for 1841 was 21,769, 

 and for 1840, 19,137. It would be very desirable to have 

 the statistics of the Provincial Societies in respect to attendance ; 

 this being one of the best tests of the prosperity of such so- 

 cieties, and of the state of horticulture throughout the country. 

 The public are certainly much indebted to those proprietors 

 who encourage their gardeners to exhibit at horticultural ex- 

 hibitions, because these exhibitions have contributed more 

 Jthan perhaps any other cause to the present highly advanced 

 state of garden culture. We sometimes hear of jjentle- 

 men who object to allowing their gardeners to exhibit, al- 

 leging, that they are apt to bestow so much of their time on the 

 plants to be exhibited as to neglect what is under their charge 

 generally. There is some truth in this ; but a patriotic master 

 will make allowance for it. In many cases, the fault, we think, 

 is the master's, who ought to complain whenever he sees any 

 thing out of order, or finds a deficiency of produce. When a 

 gentleman shows indifference towards the state of his gardens, 

 his gardener is strongly tempted to become indifferent also. A 

 really good gardener will endeavour to grow every article in 

 such a manner as that it will bear public exhibition, but he 

 must be kept up to this point by judicious reprehension and 

 judicious approbation. We must farther take into considera- 

 tion, that it is more than can be expected of a gardener, or of 

 a member of any other profession, to excel in every thing ; and, 

 therefore, on the supposition that it is a necessary conse- 

 quence of a gardener's excelling in one thing that he must be 

 behind in every thing else, it is for the proprietor to consider 

 whether he will not derive more satisfaction from finding his 

 garden and his gardener celebrated for some one or two kinds 

 of production, than from having his garden and his gardener 

 unnoticed. 



Public Improvement. — The establishment of the Metropolitan 

 Improvement Society, whose first Report we have noticed in 

 }>. 509., the discussions on the drainage bill in the Houses of 

 Parliament, and the publication of the Sanitary Report of the 

 Poor-law Commissioners (see p. 472.), have directed general 

 attention to the widening of streets, and the drainage of low 

 moist situations. There is, besides, a very obvious improve- 

 ment in the public taste in architecture, which may be con- 



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